Might change in the collocation of the words: "How exquifitely is all this performed in Greek!"

"Let those who imagine that it may be done as well in another language, fatisfy themfelves either by attempting to translate him, or by perufing his tranflations already made by men of learning. On the contrary when we read either Xenophon or Plato, nothing of this method and ftrict order ap pears. The formal and didactic is wholly dropt."

His translations is an ambiguous phrafe. Inftead of expreffing what the fenfe of the paffage requires, it may fignify tranflations executed by Ariftotle. The translations of him is an expreffion that is not fubject to the like ambiguity : though analogy might point out a different practice, we always apply it in the fame way.

"Whatever they may teach, 'tis without profeffing to be teachers; a train of dialogue and truly polite address, in which, as in a mirror, we behold human life, adorned in alF its colours of sentiment and manners."

To render the fenfe of this paffage complete, the reader must, at the beginning of the fecond claufe, fupply fome phrafe equivalent to the following: "Their writings exhibit a train,” &c. As the fentence now ftands, it is loose and disjointed.

And yet, though thefe differ in this manner from the Stagirite, how different are they likewife in character from each other? Plato, copious, figurative, and majeftic; intermixing at times the facetious and fatiric; enriching his works with tales and fables, and the myftic theology of ancient times. Xenophon, the pattern of perfect fimplicity; every where fmooth, harmonious, and pure; declining the figurative, the marvellous, and the myftic; afcending but rarely into the fublime; nor then fo much trufting to the colours of ftyle, as to the intrinfic dignity of the fentiment itself.".

Of thefe fentences the two laft are rendered deficient in idio matical purity by the omiffion of the fubftantive verb. This is a piece of affectation of which Mr. Harris is very frequently guilty. The word itself, which occurs at the clofe of the laft period, is perfectly redundant. Without contri. buting to the fenfe, it tends to injure the found.

The language, in the mean time, in which he and Plato

wrote, appears to fuit fo accurately with the style of both, that when we read either of the two, we cannot help thinking, that 'tis he alone, who has hit its character, and that it could not have appeared fo elegant in any other manner."

This is a very expreffive fentence. It is not however unexceptionable in the mean time is in this inftance an idle unmeaning phrafe, fimilar to what many of the Greek particles appear to unenlightened moderns.

"And thus is the Greek tongue, from its propriety and univerfality, made for all that is great, and all that is beautiful, in every fubject, and under every form of writing. Graiis ingenium, Graiis dedit ore rotundo

.Mufa loqui."

A tongue made for all that is great has no very dignified found. The fentence might, I think, be improved by fub. ftitating fitted instead of made.

"Twere to be wifhed, that thofe amongst us, who either write or read, with a view to employ their liberal leifure (for as to fuch as do either from views more fordid, we leave them, like flaves, to their destined drudgery) 'twere to be wifhed, I fay, that the liberal (if they have a relish for letters) would infpect the finished models of Grecian literature; that they would not waste thofe hours, which they cannot recal, upon the meaner productions of the French and Englifh prefs; upon that fungous growth of novels and pamphlets, where 'tis to be feared, they rarely find any rational pleasure, and more rarely still, any folid enjoyment."

Twere to be wished, that the author had conftructed this long fentence with a more skilful hand. Inftead of arranging it with more luminous propriety, he has had recourfe to the forry expedient of introducting parenthefes, and the contemptible little phrafe I say. The period is thus rendered confufed and inartificial. Towards the close of it, however, the cadence is agreeable to the ear.

"To be competently fkilled in ancient learning, is by no means a work of fuch infuperable pains. The very progrefs itfelf is attended with delight, and refembles a journey through fome pleafant country, where every mile we advance, new charins arife. 'Tis certainly as eafy to be a scholar,

as a gamefter, or many other characters equally illiberal and łow."

The very progress itself In a phrafe of this kind it is fuperfluous to ufe both very and itself. Either of them would have been fufficient.

The cadence of the words new charms arise approaches too nearly to that of poetry. The language of profe and the language of verfe ought always to be kept diftinct. To this rule fome of our writers do not appear to have paid proper attention. In the profe compofitions of Shaftesbury and Hervey, for example, we often find regular and fonorous, verfes

It is easy to be a character has an uncouth found. The author might certainly have expreffed himself with greater propriety.

"The fame application, the fame quantity of habit will fit us for one, as completely as for the other. And as to those who tell us, with an air of feeming wifdom, that 'tis men, and not books we must study to become knowing; this I have always remarked from repeated experience, to be the common confolation and language of dunces."

The second sentence is not altogether correct. The conclufion of it does not bear a proper and legitimate reference to the beginning. When we meet with the words as to those who tell us, &c. we are given to expect, that the author's fucceeding obfervation will apply immediately to thefe perfons themselves; whereas it only applies to the language to which they have recourfe for confolation. A few alterations may be fuggefted: "As to the obfervation which has fo frequently been made with an air of feeming wifdom, that it is men, and not books that we ought to ftudy in order to acquire ufeful knowledge; this I have always remarked from repeated experience to be the common confolation of dunces."

"They fhelter their ignorance under a few bright examples, whofe tranfcendent abilities, without the common helps, have been fufficient of themselves to great important ends. But alas!

Decipit exemplar vitiis imitabile."

In the expreffion abilities sufficient to great and important ends, there is fomething extremely awkward. The fentence appears fufceptible of improvement: "They thelter their ig norance under the bright example of a few individuals whol tranfcendent abilities, without the common heips, have been adequate to great and important undertakings."

"In truth, each man's underftanding, when ripened and mature, is a compofite of natural capacity, and of fuperinduced habit."

This application of composite favours of pedantry. Why it is preferred to composition, is not altogether obvious: the latter is certainly a more fonorous word. No other writer, as far as my information ferves me, has ever ufed composite as a noun substance. It is an adjective that is only used in treating of architecture. "Some are of opinion," fays Addifon" that the composite pillars of this arch were made in imitation of the pillars of Solomon's temple."*

"Hence the greateft men will be neceffarily thofe, who poffefs the beft capacities, cultivated with the beft habits. Hence alfo moderate capacities, when adorned with valua ble fcience, will far tranfcend others the most acute by nature, when either neglected, or applied to low and base purpofes. And thus for the honour of culture and good learning, they are able to render a man, if he will take the pains, intrinsically more excellent than his natural fuperior."

And this for the honour and culture of gaod learning-This expreffion appears fomewhat antiquated. If he will take the pains, is a phrafe which may justly be charged with vulga-. rity.

"And fo much at prefent as to general ideas; how we. acquire them; whence they are derived; what is their na ture; and what their connection with language. So much likewife as to the fubject of this treatife. Universal Gramıwar.'

This is a conclufion truly Grecian. I have often been furt prifed that Mr. Harris did cot commence his treatife. the

* Additon's Remarks on Italy. ::

Harris's Hermes, book in chap. v. !:
S

fame antique mode. He might, for example, have begun in this manner: "James Harris wrote the following dif courfe concerning the principles of univerfal grammar.*

CHAP. XXVIII.

CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF A PASSAGE IN THE WRITINGS OF ROBERTSON.

WHILE

HILE thefe fentiments prevailed among her fubjects, Elizabeth thought the might safely venture. to ftrike the blow, which he had fo long meditated. She commanded Davifon, one of the fecretaries of state, to bring to her the fatal warrant, and her behaviour, on that occafion, plainly fhewed that it is not to humanity that we must afcribe her forbearance hitherto."

The latter of thefe fentences is not conftructed with the ufual fkill of this beautiful writer: the conclufion of it is by no means graceful. The defect, perhaps, could not be remedied without the aid of circumlocution.

"At the very moment fhe was fubfcribing the writ which gave up a woman, a queen, and her own neareft relation, into the hands of the executioner, he was capable of jesting. "Go," fays fhe to Davifon," and tell Walfingham what I have now done, though I am afraid he will die for grief when he hears it." Her chief anxiety was how to fecure the advantages which would arife from Mary's death, without appearing to have given her confent to a deed fo infamous." In this paffage every thing is accurate and luminous.

"She often hinted to Paulet and Drury, as well as to fome other courtiers, that now was the time to difcover the fincerity of their concern for her fafety, and that the expected their zeal would extricate her out of her prefent perplexity."

*The moft ancient philofophical treatife now extant begins nearly in the above manner.